


City of Fumes

by BlueberriesV, PernicoAndCelloIsMyLife



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Gen, M/M, Prompt Fic, Sky Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-21 07:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14279775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueberriesV/pseuds/BlueberriesV, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PernicoAndCelloIsMyLife/pseuds/PernicoAndCelloIsMyLife
Summary: Viktor Nikiforov and the rest of his crew members roll into town with intentions of making a simple supply run.However, Viktor's plans quickly diminish when he helps a wanted criminal, Yuuri Katsuki, escape from an army of automatons. On the other hand, Yuri Plisetsky comes across an intriguing guard as he roams the streets of Ivormourne.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is BlueberriesV and I'm here with another Bing challenge fic! This time, my team and we decided to use the fumes/clinch/action! I really enjoyed working this with my co-writer, Cello, and artist, Masha. 
> 
> This first chapter is specifically what I wrote so it's going to be focused on Viktor and Yuuri. Next chapter is Cello's part with Yuri's POV and Otabek so stay tuned for that! The [art](http://mashazart.tumblr.com/post/172811011842/heres-the-art-i-drew-for-liveloveyoibang-s) that Masha drew is right here and it's for the next chapter so check it out! :)

At the crack of dawn, sunlight gradually filled the sky. The amber hued of rays gently kissed the ridged mountains that occupied the landscape, spook-grey mist folding around the rocky hills like a serpent coiling around its prey.

As the wind wafted past Viktor, causing his hair to flutter with the gusts of air blowing past him, he watched the sunrise with a serene expression, his lips quirked upwards contentedly. Viktor stood still, simply admiring the view from his spot in the sky, as the sun continued to rise steadily as the minutes flashed by him.  

The familiar sound of their airship, _Rurik,_  rumbled in his ears, the low creaking of the engine comforting to him. During his time out on the deck, there were a few times where the airship jerked, slightly choppy as it battled against the heavy air currents. However, the lurches didn’t dissuade Viktor from peacefully watching the pleasing sight from the margin, his fingers fluttering lightly against the ledge.

Despite the many times Viktor had woke up early to watch the sky, it never seemed to grow old. Viktor must’ve stood there for an hour because it wasn’t long before the sun was high in the sky, blinking at him brightly.

Not soon after, there was the abrupt clang of a door slamming shut, as heavy footsteps thumped towards his direction. With a knowing hum, Viktor turned his back from the view of the sky, and locked his eyes on the door.

Within seconds, the door to the deck flung open and two familiar faces trudged out, fatigue clearly painted on their faces.

“Ahoy, mates,” Viktor greeted with a radiant smile, waving merrily at Yuri and Mila. His radiant expression was immensely different from the drained look on their pale face, dark circles immensely pronounced from under their eyes. They were most likely still overtaxed from the previous day’s work.

“Morning,” Yuri grunted with an unamused frown. Mila waved tiredly to Viktor, trudging slowly to the spot beside him, before leaning against the ledge.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Mila asked, tilting her head at Viktor, looking at him curiously. At the question, Viktor frowned thoughtfully, before twisting his head towards the sky. He looked at the scenery, blankly staring at the snow-white clouds that were lazily drifting around, his mind blank as he tried to think.

“Just another day in the sky, I presume,” Viktor finally answered, glancing back towards the two of them with a nonchalant shrug to his shoulders, head lolling lazily. Viktor murmured softly, “Another day, another adventure.”

Mila sighed deeply, glancing at Yuri quietly with a look that indicated her distaste for Viktor’s response, her eyebrows knitting together in a look of disappointment. Yuri didn’t say anything but the aggravated scowl that blossomed on his face told Viktor just exactly what he thought.  

After a long silence between the three of them, Mila shoved her hand into her pocket and the sound of paper crumpling around resonated in Viktor’s ears. A second later, Mila pulled out a map, causing Viktor to raise his eyebrows high in wonder, mouth slacked open with surprise.

“Let’s stop at Ivormourne. It should be a thirty minute trip from here,” Mila suggested, pointing at a spot on the map. Viktor leaned over to peer down, blinking in uncertainty.

“Ivormourne?” Viktor questioned. He frowned down at the map and asked, “What for?”

“Our supplies are running low and besides, my legs are aching to walk on the ground again,” Mila said, folding up the map and placing it back into her pocket. She turned to Viktor, arms folded sternly, staring at Viktor with a hard look. “We’ve been up in the air for a week now. I’m growing a little airsick. It’s time for something different.”

“Just admit it, you’re wanting to find a new person to hit on after your recent break-up and you’re tired of being surrounded by only us for company.” Yuri taunted, eyes glinting in amusement.

“Oh shush,” Mila sniped back faintly.

Viktor pursed his lips, as his finger stroked his chin in contemplation. Their food supply has been growing a bit thin and there were some issues with the airship that needed to be dealt with. It was probably high time to make another supply run.

“I guess we can do that,” Viktor said, as he pushed himself away from the ledge. “I’ll go tell our coxswain to change the route and head towards Ivourmourne. Then, I’ll ask Yakov if he needs anything.”

“Coxswain?” Mila asked in bewilderment.

“He means pilot. We don't _actually_ speak like that, you know?! We’re not _real_ pirates! We travel in the sky, not in the water, for fuck’s sake.” Yuri yelled after him, irritation projected in his voice. “We shouldn’t have read those stupid pirate novels last night.”

  

\---

 

Once Viktor finished his conversation with Yuri and Mila, he headed towards the bow, where Georgi was in control of steering the entire airship. After he informed Georgi of their new route, Viktor went back the other direction for the abaft, the rear of the airship, where Yakov laid refuge in his chambers.

In front of Yakov’s closed door, Viktor knocked on the wooden surface, waiting patiently until he heard a grunt from the older man. It was a low, guttural sound that Yakov usually released to let Viktor know he could enter. Viktor slowly opened the door, cautiously peeking his head in, before spotting Yakov in the corner of the room.

Yakov was seated near a wooden desk in a grand timber chair, hunched over his desk, with a cane planted against the table. The room was mostly pitch-dark, with the exception of a lamp that was dimly illuminating the room and a faint ray of sunlight that had sneaked past the beige-colored curtains concealing the window.

“Yakov,” Viktor said, smiling pleasantly at the older man, as he stepped into the room casually, closing the door quietly behind him. As he walked into the room, the wood creaked loudly from under his heavy footsteps. “We’re going to land into a town soon. Did you want to come along?”

Yakov studied Viktor carefully, silent as he assessed the gray-haired man with sharp eyes that penetrated into him deeply. Viktor tilted his head in wonder, still smiling, albeit stiffly when Yakov offered no words. Then, _finally,_ Yakov released a weary sigh, before placing a hand over his right leg.

“I’m fine. My right leg has been tormenting me this past hour. I doubt I could walk far if I followed along,” Yakov grumbled irritably, as he clutched his leg with a pained expression.

Yakov gripped it tightly, his hand turning white from the amount of pressure he was using to grasp his limb. The older man’s eyebrows furrowed together as agony stuck his core, sweat dripping down his clammy, contorted face, clearly conveying his discomfort; it was almost as if someone had just slammed a sledgehammer down onto Yakov’s leg at that exact moment. Yakov looked drained, utterly exhausted with torment, and defeated from the plague of his nuisance of a leg.

Viktor’s remorseful gaze flickered down to Yakov’s leg. Any signs of content on Viktor’s face faded away completely, as a flicker of guilt arose in him.

He was very much aware of the brutal symptoms Yakov experienced with his leg. The throbbing, burning, and sore mess that Yakov’s limb has become after his incident. There was also the loss of appetite, along with the declination of energy, and the sudden bursts of emotions from the older man.

“Then, is there anything you need? Something to stop the pain? We’ll be landing the airship at Ivormourne for supplies,” Viktor said, his furrowed eyebrows revealing his concern, as well as the fretful tone of his voice.

When Yakov failed to answer right away, Viktor continued to speak, listing off suggestions for the older man.

“Medicine? A doctor? How about a shaman? I can get it all while we’re in town,” Viktor asked, sharply breathing in when Yakov jerked his head towards him, his eyes free from any pain, interest conveyed on his face.

“Did you say Ivourmourne?” Yakov straightened up from his seat and stared at Viktor seriously, raising an inquiring eyebrow.

“Yeah, I did.” Resisting the urge to swallow, Viktor nodded with a weak smile, which didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Well then, I suppose you can get me this one particular medicine,” Yakov muttered, hunching over his desk, as he reached to tear out a small portion of paper from his worn leather journal.

“Apparently, it’s one of a kind and you can only buy it at this Ivourmourne store. It’s called _Novril._ I heard it does wonders for chronic pain.” The man reached for his fountain pen, which was a gold metallic with cogwheels carefully designed onto it, and started writing briskly onto the paper.

Once he was handed the paper, Viktor’s blue eyes flickered downwards to the paper, where words were scribbled neatly. It listed the name of the store, _Sophronia’s Etiquette_ , as well as the name of the medicine.

“I can do that.” Viktor said, as he folded the paper in half, before tucking it away in the back pocket of his pants. Buying medicine was the least he could do after everything Yakov has done for him.

“Be sure to buy a large quantity of Novril. I’m going to need it.”

“I will,” Viktor stated firmly.

“Also, Vitya.” At the sound of his name, Viktor arched an eyebrow in question, watching silently as a stern scowl developed on Yakov’s face. “Be careful to not seize the attention of the public, especially the authorities. After that whole mess you caused in the last city, you need to stay low.”

Shortly after Yakov finished speaking, Viktor immediately laughed, pleasure enveloping his mind at the mention of his latest scene.

The last incident was a fond memory for Viktor, where he had accidentally set off an alarm when he had decided to pickpocket a closed shop. In the display of said store, there was the sight of a dozing poodle that had caught his attention. The dog’s brown curly fur, adorable face, and snoozing form had intrigued him from the start.

As soon as his heart melted and turned into a pile of adoring goo, Viktor’s decision was firmly made. To say the least, running away from an army of automatons that were chasing after him with a large, confused dog in his arms was a fun memory to recall.

Unfortunately, in the city of Grimmire, Viktor was now wanted for his act of thievery. Add that to his long list of crimes, Viktor was known for his infamous deeds. Though, Viktor didn’t enjoy being named a treacherous air pirate.  

After all, Viktor was a person that was solely living in the air because of his need for adventure. He didn’t do any serious harm from any of his impulsive choices, which included stealing Makkachin from the store. Though, there has been times where he have placed people he cared about in danger for his decisions.

However, Yakov seemed to be taking it all rather seriously. His eyebrows were creased together, his lips fixed in a strict frown, beady eyes boring holes into Viktor’s face; a familiar look of sterness he was used to seeing from the older man.

“No need to worry, I’m a well-functioning adult, as well as a master of stealth. Staying low is my profession,” Viktor declared, attempting to assure the man, as he continued to chuckle in amusement. Yakov breathed in deeply, exasperation spreading thoroughly on the older man’s face.

“You say that but somehow, you always manage to run into trouble,” Yakov grunted but there was a soft note to his expression, indicating his fondness for Viktor. It was a look Viktor would expect to see from a parental figure; a churlish look with a hint of affection from the way Yakov’s lips quirked upwards slightly.

“And this is why the sky is the only limit for me,” Viktor said with a pout. If he had it his way, Viktor would be in the skies twenty-four seven. However, they all had necessities that had to be dealt with on the grounds. “But we’re running low on supplies and the others are growing restless of being in the air for so long.”

Viktor walked towards the door and glanced back at Yakov one last time. 

“Don’t worry, Yakov. I wouldn’t put anyone in danger. Not again.” Viktor uttered, his voice with genuine, staring at the man with honesty. “I’ll get you the medicine. You can count on me.”

With those words, Viktor slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

 

\---

 

After navigating the airship for about thirty minutes, Georgi carefully maneuvered the airship onto a cliff where most airships were able to park. From the spot where they parked, the silhouette of Ivormourne was shown to be in the distance; the city veiled in a dark fog from the fumes even though it was bright outside. It was rather difficult to see any distinctive traits of Ivormourne from their location. As of now, the walk to the city would take at least thirty minutes.

Viktor treaded out of the airship, glancing around his surroundings with miniscule interest. It was a barren area with only one other blimp parked besides them. Shifting his eyes onto the city in the distance, Viktor leaned against the hull of their airship. Once Yuri, Mila and Georgi were outside as well, he motioned them over with a hand gesture. They walked up to him and formed a circle.

“So,” Viktor said casually, as he pulled out his pendant clock that he had from his pocket. “Does everyone know what they’re going to grab from the city?”

Whenever they stopped by cities for a supply run, they had a specific routine. Each member of the team had a particular category they hunted for. By the end of their errand, if anyone had time left, they were free to shop for anything they wanted to. For Viktor, he was typically in charge of the weaponry and mechanic parts for the airship.

Normally, he would be done within the first hour of shopping since they usually don’t need weapons or airship devices everytime they land in town. Then, Viktor spend the remaining time to purchase clothes for his wardrobe or head back to the airship early.

Though today, Viktor would need to stay in the town a little longer to buy Yakov’s medicine and a new propeller for their airship that has been running slow as of lately. They had tracked the problem down to their ancient propeller being the cause for their poor performance in the sky. During the last few trips on land, Viktor had been meaning to purchase the part but had found himself distracted in numerous occasions.

So hopefully, today would be the day Viktor would buy the propeller. Although, the only issue Viktor had with purchasing one was that he had no idea how to install it. He doubted anyone else in the group was an engineering genius as well. Viktor supposed they could figure it out once they returned.

“I’m in charge in retrieving ingredients for the food,” Georgi stated, as he peered at Mila, waiting to hear her answer.

“Just the basic necessities. Toilet paper, toothbrushes, first aid supplies, whatever fits the list.” Mila said offhandedly, staring at the sky in speculation, before eagerness glinted in her cerulean eyes. “But I might go shopping for some jewelry afterwards. Apparently there’s this rare gem you can wear as a necklace and you can _only_ get it in this city. It’ll fit well in my collection.”

No surprise there. Viktor figured Mila wanted to land in this city for a specific reason. She was too insistent earlier about taking a break from the sky. Even though it was a bit exasperating, Viktor couldn’t help but be a bit amused.

Viktor shifted his blue eyes onto Yuri, watching the teen with a small smile, remaining patient for his response. On supply runs, Yuri often did an adequate job shopping for his part of the chore. Although, Viktor was always aware of the Yuri’s odd shopping habits from the times the young teenager purchased items for himself. There was the peculiar shirt with a tiger print that Viktor recalled from a few months back. It was definitely a clothing article way beyond their time.

“Supplies…” Yuri grunted. His answer was vague and when Viktor raised an inquiring eyebrow at the young teen, Yuri grumbled out impatiently, “We’ve gone through this a million times already. I _know_ what to get.”

“Okay, great. Then, we’re good to go. It looks like everyone has an idea of what they’re searching for,” Viktor declared merrily, before flicking the the lid of the pendant clock open. His blue eyes briefly studied the time. Then, after some quick deliberation, Viktor uttered thoughtfully, “So it’s about ten o’clock right now. I think two hours should suffice so let’s be back to the airship by twelve o’clock.”

After Viktor had announced his courteous plan, there was looks of bewilderment and displeasure in the group. Out of the three of them, Mila appeared the most unsatisfied one in the group.

“That’s not enough time to shop. It’s also a long walk to the city,” Mila huffed, her stiff frown conveying her disapproval.

“Fine then, four hours. Be back here by two o’clock,” Viktor replied, doubling the amount of time they would be in Ivormourne. They’ve been on supply runs with a time limit as short as thirty minutes before. Two hours should’ve been enough.

However, Mila didn’t take the suggestion. Instead, she continued to bargain with him.

“Make it five hours,” Mila demanded and by her fierce expression, Viktor realized there was no point in arguing with her. If he even attempted to, they would probably be disputing for hours on end. It was tough settling a deal with a woman as stubborn as Mila.

“Okay, three o’clock,” Viktor said, sighing deeply, as he relented to Mila’s wishes. He rubbed the crease between his furrowed eyebrows, hoping to alleviate his developing headache. If he kept allowing himself to be talked out of his decisions, his hairline was going to start waning backwards until he was completely bald and that wouldn’t be fun at all.

“Much better!” Mila declared with a huge grin. She started to dart away from the airship, launching herself into a sprint towards the direction of the city, pulling Georgi’s arm. Georgi, the poor man, was jerked without warning and had no choice but to follow along.

“Be careful with our money!” Viktor yelled after her.

“You should take your own advice,” Mila shouted back with a wide smile, her short red hair swaying in the wind as she continued to jog towards Ivormourne. Then, she turned towards Georgi, who no longer had his arm in Mila’s death grip, and urged the man, “Come on, Georgi. I know you want to buy some jewelry for Anya too.”

Within seconds, they were out of sight.

“Well, I guess it’s just you and me,” Viktor said, raising an eyebrow when he heard a loud groan from Yuri. “Come on, it’s not that bad being with me. Let’s walk to town together and then we can separate from there.”

 

\---

 

On the walk towards the city of Ivormourne, the air began to thicken with fumes. Many of the buildings were shrouded by a heavy, gray smoke that blurred the view of the architecture; the constricting smog swallowing up the skyscrapers that ascended over them. The stench of the fumes forced itself up into Viktor’s nostrils and the way the smoke burned his throat and lungs had him nearly gagging in repulsion.

There were a variety of airships over the sky, camouflaged by the gray fog that loomed over them in a ominous manner. Despite the fact that it was only morning and it was bright from where they parked, the sky was dark with ashy smoke in a foreboding manner, making Viktor feel as if he had just stepped foot into a cemetary.

As they ventured further into the city, Viktor could hear the ticking of the steam-powered clockwork, the heart of the city, and the cogwheels that were revolving from numerous buildings, resound loudly in his ears. The _click-click-click_ sound of the towers was a redundant noise that was slowly driving Viktor insane.  

Suddenly, Viktor coughed, a harsh guttural sound that he choked on. Then, he erupted into a fit of coughs, nearly hacking up his liver from the amount of force he used to do so. His chest was burning intensely and the pain seared through his heart like a scorching iron; the pain progressively growing worse as he continued to breathe in the toxic air.

After struggling to breathe for a minute, blue eyes wet from the stinging agony of the fumes, Viktor began to complain. He had never been in a city where the fumes have been this atrocious. The hazardous smoke in other places were usually insignificant, something not worth paying attention to. Viktor would rather be back on the airship as of right now.

“This is awful,” Viktor croaked out, bringing his fist up to his mouth to wheeze into. “The air is so polluted, it’s hard to _even_ breathe. I also can’t see any further than five feet in front of me. They shouldn’t have added the steam-powered clockwork architecture to the city if breathing was going to be this much of a pain.”

“Stop complaining,” Yuri said, his voice muffled, as he spoke into his arm that was covering his nose and mouth.

“How are these people still alive?” Viktor questioned, his voice hoarse as he continued to cough into his fist. “I knew I should’ve made this supply run only two hours. I could get sick from breathing in all this toxic smoke. I don’t know which empire owns this city but they should make some changes to Ivormourne.”

Viktor didn’t pay attention to whose empire they were entering when they first decided to go to Ivormourne. He probably should’ve checked, especially since there were particular empires that wanted him thrown into jail for some of the crimes he pulled.

They were both quiet, as they walked further into the city. Viktor was focused on breathing to the best of his ability, as he glanced around his surroundings, attempting to find a store he could find the items he needed to purchase.

Then, as they turned the corner into a new street, a paper plastered on a brick wall of a building caught Viktor’s attention. He squinted at it, before his eyes widened in delight once he realized what he was looking at. Viktor jogged up to the wall, his gaze assessing the paper. There was always amusement that arose in him whenever he managed to find to find one of these.

“Oh, look at that, it’s a wanted poster. It’s been forever since I saw one of these,” Viktor declared, as he ripped one of the dozens of papers off the wall. All the posters on the wall were of the same person. His blue eyes evaluated the poster acutely and he was surprised to find himself quickly taken with the photo of the man.

From the photo, Viktor could tell the man was Asian. His expression in the picture was a timid one, which was to be expected if someone were to find themselves in trouble. The man’s black hair was tousled around and there were those goggles that nearly took up the man’s face, almost hiding the man’s chocolate-colored eyes.

“The last time we saw wanted posters was when _your_ face was plastered on it.” Yuri declared with an amused snort, as he went up to rip out a wanted poster off the wall as well. The young teenager stared down appraisingly at the poster, his eyes gauging the paper without a blink.

“Hmm, his name is Yuuri Katsuki. It seems like we found ourselves another Yuri! What a delight,” Viktor exclaimed, as he patted Yuri on the back firmly, snorting with laughter when Yuri slapped his hand away with an irritated scowl.  

“There should only be one Yuri!” The blond teenager growled, his mouth downturned in displeasure.

“Ah, you’re right,” Viktor said, as a brilliant idea popped up in his head. He pointed at Yuri with enthusiasm, before proposing with a mischievous grin, “Then, maybe we should call you Yurio!”

“Call me that again and I’ll be the one that throws your ass in jail,” Yuri snarled threateningly, eyes glinting dangerously. The way he glared furiously at Viktor conveyed his promise of doing exactly what he vowed to do.

After letting loose a couple more amused chuckles, his chest burning from how much he had laughed and the fumes smothering his lungs, Viktor turned his attention back to the poster. He scanned over the poster again, before locking his eyes on the price that the empire was offering for turning in Yuuri.

As soon as his mind processed the cost, Viktor whistled in fascination, impressed at the price written in the poster. His interest in the man definitely increased by the tenfold. The reward for Yuuri Katsuki was a _large_ amount of money. He couldn’t help but wonder exactly how severe the man’s crimes were if the empire was offering that much money.

“They’re offering a lot for this man, nearly twice they’ve offered for me in previous towns. That’s enough money to last us a year in the skies,” Viktor said offhandedly, pointing at the reward for Yuri to see, who merely glanced at it apathetically.

“Whatever this person did, I doubt it’s worse than what you have done. It’s awful that I’m associated with you,” Yuri said, looking severely unimpressed. Then, the blond teen stared at Viktor cautiously, warning him with his stern stare. “Be careful here, we don’t want you banned in this place as well. You’re nearly a criminal in every town we’ve been to.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already heard this from Yakov. I don’t need someone more than ten years younger than me lecturing me as well,” Viktor said with a soft smile, as he patted Yuri’s head affectionately, whose face contorted in disgust at the touch.

Once Viktor had pulled his hand away, Yuri stepped back, folding the wanted paper and slipped it into his back pocket. After one last look at the wanted poster, Viktor followed suit and moved the paper into his pocket.

“I’ll be back on the airship soon. It shouldn’t take long to buy my part of the supplies. I don’t want to be here in this city any longer than I have to,” Yuri said, as he glanced around at the surrounding shops nearby. “I’ll be on the lookout for the guy too. We could probably use the money.”

“Yeah, I guess I’ll do the same.” Viktor said softly, peering at the wall again that were full of Yuuri Katsuki’s wanted posters. Although, he probably won’t be searching for the man to turn him in.

There was something in particular that was fascinating about Yuuri. It was probably the innocence that was shown in the man’s expression. Going off of one glimpse, Viktor firmly believed there was a virtuous quality that Yuuri seemed to transmit. The man’s delicate expression didn’t seem harsh like many of the other wanted posters Viktor had seen of criminals.   

“Those kooky goggles are ridiculous. He shouldn’t be hard to find if he’s still wearing those,” Yuri’s statement snapped Viktor out of his thoughts, causing him to shift his blue eyes onto the young teenager, as he turned his head back to the posters.

“Well, I think it’s an adorable look on him,” Viktor said absent-mindedly, not noticing the odd, concerned stare Yuri directed towards him.

“Well yeah, if you’re into the mad scientist look,” Yuri bit back.

Viktor ignored him, as he studied the picture on the poster further. Even though the goggles were huge on his face, it said a whole ton about Yuuri Katsuki. The man was probably smart, _really_ smart, and he also looked great in them.

There was a loud sigh that Viktor heard before sounds of heavy steps began echoing in his ears, each footstep sounding further away from him. Blinking in bemusement, Viktor turned his head to Yuri, who was nearly cloaked in the clouds of murky smoke surrounding them. There was one last statement of warning Viktor heard from the young teenager before he completely vanished in the murky smog.  

 

\---

 

The few hours that Viktor spent roaming around were _too_ long for him. The fumes that cloaked every inch of the atmosphere enveloped his lungs until he was struggling for another gulp of fresh air. It took at least thirty minutes of searching through the dark fog before he was able to find the store Yakov had instructed him to go to.

Once he had bought the Novril, Viktor had a tough time finding a store that was specifically for aircraft parts. The heavy fumes made it difficult to find a store and there were a few times Viktor had circled around the block, discovering himself in the same spot as earlier. Alongside with being lost, the putrid air that was causing his throat to burn painfully was starting to add onto his frustration.

Then, finally, he found a store that was specialized for aircraft parts. He entered the store with relief. Breathing came to him more easily when there was no toxic fumes smothering him in the store. After breathing in _pure_ air, Viktor glimpsed around the store for twenty minutes, before grabbing a piece that looked the right piece for their airship and brought it up to the cashier.

As he brought the propeller to the register, the door to the store opened and a _ding_ resonated in the air. Viktor flickered his eyes onto the entrance, eyes widening when he saw a familiar face walk into the store. It was the same man from the wanted poster from earlier, Yuuri Katsuki.

“Yuuri Katsuki,” The words slipped out from his mouth without a single thought. Viktor had spoken loudly, his words ringing heavily in the air, causing Yuuri to jerk his head towards him at the sound of his name. With a wince, Viktor stared back apologetically, watching as panic gradually developed on the man’s face.

Then, the cashier gasped loudly in realization, causing Viktor to aim his focus onto the woman, who was ghastly pale with a horrified look. Viktor almost wanted to facepalm his face for what he had just done. There was no way for Viktor to brush off his mistake now, especially after gaining recognition from the store’s clerk.

“That man's wanted from the empire,” The woman stated in terror, as she reached for a nearby telephone, probably attempting to warn the authorities. Another bell chimed in the air and Viktor glimpsed back to discover that Yuuri Katsuki was no longer in the store. The man must’ve darted out.

Groaning in exasperation that was mostly directed towards himself, Viktor sprinted out of the store. Once Viktor was outside in the city that was shrouded in dark fumes, he decided to run to the left. If he listened closely, he could hear the soft pattering of someone’s footsteps running towards the left side of the street.

After sprinting for quite awhile, Viktor stopped at a nearby alley and concentrated deeply, hearing the frantic sound of someone inhaling shakily. Carefully, Viktor crept into the dark alley, before peeking his head around a dumpster to find a man crouching on the floor.

Viktor watched curiously when Yuuri’s brown eyes widened in shock, yelping as he fell back on his behind. The man sat there stiffly, staring up at Viktor cautiously, as if Viktor would pull something at any moment. However, Viktor only looked back silently and studied Yuuri, who eventually loosened up as the seconds ticked by.

“You’re the one that hollered out my name,” Yuuri said accusingly, as he picked himself up and brushed the dust away from his pants. Behind the thick goggles, a pair of chestnut eyes glared at him sharply, lips twisted in a heated glower. “The authorities are going to be looking for me now.”   

“I apologize but well, if you want me to be honest, those goggles were a dead giveaway and you’re also wearing the same outfit as the picture on the poster,” Viktor declared, as he pulled the folded-up wanted poster in his pocket and handed it to the man. “Although, you are looking a bit worse for wear here than in the photo.”

Yuuri seized the poster from him, glancing at Viktor suspiciously. He unfolded the poster and it must’ve taken a moment for the information to digest because the man’s face slowly blanched at the sight. There was a disbelieving shake to the man’s head, mouth slacked open in doubt.

“I-I… I didn’t realize I was on a wanted poster,” Yuuri whispered weakly, voice doused in devastation, brown eyes locked onto the paper. When Yuuri’s distress began to increase, Viktor clutched the poster away from Yuuri’s hands, stuffing it back into his pocket. Yuuri’s lost eyes deviated to him, misery drowning in the bronze orbs.

“How ‘bout I introduce myself, Yuuri?” Viktor asked with a soft smile, blue eyes gleaming kindly, hoping to distract the man. “Viktor Nikiforov, at your service.”

Viktor’s name seemed to have an instantaneous effect on the man because a strangled gasp fell out of his lips, causing Viktor to raise in inquiring eyebrow. It appeared as if Yuuri must be aware of who he was. The idea of Yuuri knowing who Viktor was somewhat appealing to him.

“Viktor Nikiforov.” Yuuri breathed out in shock. “You’re that crooked air pirate.”

“Well, I prefer being called an _adventurous_ air pirate, rather than a crooked one.” The gray-haired man grumbled, nose scrunching up in distaste. Viktor was fully aware that he was more known for his infamous deeds but he wasn’t _that_ awful. However, he couldn’t be too bad if Yuuri knew who he was. “But it seems as if you’ve heard of me. Are you a fan?”

“N-No, I’m not… But I’m a fan of the structure of your airship, the Rurik. It has a beautiful design.” Yuuri said softly, causing Viktor to study the man in contemplation. To Viktor, that only brought up two possible ideas about Yuuri’s occupation.

“Now, are you? So, are you a scientist? Or an engineer?” Viktor inquired curiously.

With his large goggles and sophisticated demeanor, Yuuri struck him as a person that could be either. However, the simple outfit that the man wore didn’t reveal much and there were no tools carried on his body. Maybe the fact that Yuuri entered a shop for auto parts implied he could be an engineer.

Reluctantly, Yuuri nodded and said quietly, “I’m an engineer.”

At the answer, Viktor blinked and frowned inquisitively. He didn’t understand how a gentle-mannered person like Yuuri was a wanted criminal by the empire. It didn’t appear as if the poor man could even hurt a fly. Though, Viktor supposed looks could be deceiving at times.

“So why are you running away from the law?” Viktor questioned with perplexion.

“I… I don’t know if I should...” Yuuri hesitated, pausing briefly as his eyebrows furrowed together, conflict arising on his face. He looked as if he were contemplating whether or not to inform Viktor.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me,” Viktor interrupted but Yuuri shook his head, smiling weakly at him. Yuuri sharply breathed, slightly impressing Viktor on how easily he was able to inhale the dangerous fumes and not choke on it like Viktor did earlier.

“No, it’s okay. I can tell you,” Yuuri said softly, before continuing to speak. Viktor stared back patiently, not in any rush to hear the story. “I’ve been an engineer for Ivormourne for a long time and-”

A sudden loud noise that blared deafeningly near their ears startled the two of them. Viktor jerked his head to the source of the noise, widening his blue eyes in shock when he was met with the sight of eight automatons marching towards them. The alarmed cry that Yuuri released jolted Viktor back to action.

“The store clerk must’ve called the authorities. Come on, let’s get out of here,” Viktor declared seriously, as he tugged on the man’s arm, his sober blue eyes urging Yuuri to trust him. It took awhile but Yuuri’s terrified face eventually shifted into a firm look and he followed along when Viktor bolted into a run, dragging Yuuri along with him.

They must’ve fled on foot for minutes, shooting through the blanket of sooty fog that made it difficult for Viktor to detect where he was going. Eventually, they ran into a dead end and the walls surrounded in on them, while the murky fumes made it appear as if they had nowhere to go. Once the automatons closed in on them, with lances in their metal hands, Viktor and Yuuri truly had nowhere to go.

Viktor directed his eyes on Yuuri, feeling his heart constrict in guilt at the frightened expression on Yuuri’s face. If only he had kept his mouth shut in the store, maybe this wouldn’t have happened and he couldn’t change back time because unfortunately, time machines were a fortune and they were also monitored closely.

With an exasperated sigh, Viktor reached for his belt, his hand aiming for the raygun that was contained in his holster. Viktor directed his raygun to one of the eight automatons and muttered in frustration, “Oh, I really don’t want to do this. Yakov is going to murder me.”

As of right now, he was more terrified of Yakov’s response to this than fighting the authorities. He could clearly imagine the disappointed frown of Yakov’s face and the drawn-out lecture that was due to happen. After this, Viktor could bet his own ass that he was going to be plastered on numerous wanted posters alongside Yuuri’s own posters in Ivormourne.

With a flick of a finger, a beam of light emitted from his raygun. Once it hit the mechanical frame of the automaton, the body jerked and spasmed erratically, before tumbling to the ground. The beams were always lethal and he often needed to shoot once before an automaton came crumbling down in its demise.

Viktor was often careful to only use rayguns on automatons, rather than humans. There were plenty of stories of humans blasting apart and the thought of it did not appeal to him in any manner. He would rather stick to a different weapon when dealing with people and even then, Viktor could never bring himself to murder someone.

Once the first automaton fell down, he pulled the trigger a couple more times, striking a few more automatons that eventually collapsed. The automatons were most likely malfunctioning due to the shock they received from the rays. The electrifying current that ran through the automaton’s body was usually able to shut down the system that kept them functioning.

However, there were still three of them that were still up and running. That particular fact made itself very aware to Viktor once one of the automatons advanced _too_ close to them and grasped Yuuri’s arm tightly, pulling him away from Viktor’s side.

“Ow!” Yuuri shouted out, desperately attempting to jerk his arm out from the automaton’s clutch. Quickly, Viktor shot down the other two automatons, waiting until they collapsed before he focused on Yuuri, who was still struggling to release himself.

Viktor didn’t shoot the automaton, mostly due to the fact Yuuri was extremely close to the automaton and he didn’t want to risk injuring the man. So instead, Viktor strided up to the automaton, kicking his boot at the metallic torso with a large amount of force.

When the automaton refused to release its grip, Viktor rammed his fist into the face, gritting his teeth with a wince when his knuckles began to throb painfully. Unfortunately, his fist didn’t do much to dissuade the automaton away from Yuuri so he decided to slam his foot into it once again.

Finally, Yuuri was finally free, allowing Viktor to kick at it another time. Once the automaton fell down to the ground harshly, Viktor flicked his trigger and another ray shot out, eliminating the last of their threat.

There was a silence that emerged as Viktor attempted to catch his breath. Though it was hard with the fumes that kept suffocating him. However, instead of Viktor being the first one to talk, Yuuri decided to speak up.

“Thank you for helping me. I don’t think I could ever express how grateful I am that you aided me,” Yuuri said in relief, expressing his gratitude. Then, he murmured with a sad smile, “I really don’t want to put you in any more danger so I should probably leave soon. Also, I might have to rethink my wardrobe and remove my goggles if they’re really that distinguishing.”

Yuuri reached for his quirky goggles and lifted them until they were placed against his forehead, frowning slightly. Viktor watched Yuuri silently, his heart oddly heavy at the sight of Yuuri’s resigned look. Then, an idea thrusted into his head and the words were quick to spill out of him.

“Come back with me.” Viktor blurted out suddenly, causing Yuuri’s eyes to widen in shock, staring at him as if he were absurd and quite frankly, Viktor was starting to feel like his solution was a crazy one.

“What? I can’t do that.”   

“Why not?” Viktor questioned insistently, frowning at Yuuri in confusion. There was no reason Yuuri shouldn’t come with him. There was nothing Ivormourne could offer for Yuuri, especially since he was on the wanted list here.

“I’m a criminal. I don’t want to burden you with my presence,” Yuuri stated firmly, before continuing on to speak adamantly. “I was reluctant to say it earlier but I refused a request from the king. He wanted me to built something and I said no. So now I’m a convict and I will only cause you nothing but trouble if I follow along. Every city under the empire, Murkrath, will be able to recognize me.”

With an amused laugh, Viktor clutched Yuuri's shoulder, urging the man to look at him. 

“Well, I’m a felon in practically all parts of the world. Everyone knows me wherever I go so I’m practically famous too,” Viktor declared in response. “If it’s really bothering you. Then, let’s clinch a deal.”

“A deal?” Yuuri asked inquiringly, appearing intrigued by the idea. There was hope gleaming in the young man’s eyes and he stared at the gray-haired man in anticipation, anxious to hear what Viktor had to say.

“I’ll offer my protection and you can offer your skills onto the ship. We can use an engineer as part of our crew. In fact, there’s something you can install for us as soon as we arrive. It’s a propeller and we need you to...” Viktor blinked with an uneasy frown, his words gradually trailing off. He suddenly realized that he had completely forgotten to purchase a propeller today. 

“I guess that sounds fair.” Staring at Yuuri’s reassured smile, Viktor shrugged off his concerns and smiled back kindly. He could worry about that later. In fact, maybe he could ask Yuri to go back into town later. The young teenager was a lot more reliable when it came to purchasing supplies than Viktor was and he also wasn’t wanted like Viktor was.

“Then, let’s shake on it.” Viktor offered a hand out, his smile widening into a satisfied grin when Yuuri shook his hand firmly. “Also, Yuuri?”

“Yeah?” Yuuri asked contentedly, brown eyes gleaming brightly at him.

“The goggles can stay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a link to everyone's tumblr:  
> Masha: [here](http://mashazart.tumblr.com)  
> Cello: [here](https://yaoi-trash-hubbo.tumblr.com)  
> Mine: [here](https://blueberriesv.tumblr.com)
> 
>  
> 
> (also for anyone curious, im hoping to update the next work to my series soon. sorry for the delay)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Victors inability to simply pick up the propeller for the ship, Yuri is forced to go into the fog-shrouded town again. While Yuri is trying to keep a low profile and just return to the ship as fast as possible, he runs into a guard that could change his outlook on life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> This is my contribution for Bing #2 for the Live Love Yoi Bang! I was lucky enough to be paired with the amazing Vi and Masha who both helped me write and edit this chapter. Also a big thanks to Masha who made some amazing artwork to go with this chapter! Make sure to check out their Tumblr's that were linked in the first chapter. :D

Everything was going off without a hitch so far; they had managed to make it all the way to the fog-shrouded town and land safely, even with one of the ship's propellers starting to give out, and now all they needed was for Victor to go and pick up the propeller during their supply run.

No matter how simple a plan was, Victor seemed to always find a way to mess it up. His way of messing this mission up was by getting into a shooting match with the empire’s guards all to save some guy that was apparently wanted for treason against the empire. Now said guy was currently stashed away in their airship, at Victor’s insistence, which made them criminals for aiding and hiding a criminal and to make matters worse, Victor didn’t even get the damn propeller!

“Hey, old man!” Victor looked up at him from tending to the new guy’s, Yuuri’s, wounds that he had sustained during the chase. “What the hell are we supposed to do now? If we don’t have the propeller, there is no way that we will be able to leave this overly polluted city! It’s dangerous for us to just sit here! It’s only a matter of time before those empire guards come knocking on our door searching for this loser!”

The other Yuuri didn’t seem to appreciate being referred to as a loser but he was smart enough to keep quiet. “Now that is a problem, isn’t it?” Victor put his finger up to his lips in a show of contemplation. “Well since the guards only saw my face and they didn’t see which ship we ran into, one of you guys will just have to go into town in my place and get the part.”

“Well that seems to be the only option that we have. So, who’s going to go into town to fix Victor’s screw-up?” Yuri’s question was met with stares from his idiotic shipmates and deafening silence.

That was how Yuri found himself walking into the foggy town on the hunt for the stupid ship part while trying to keep a low profile. The city was swarmed with guards asking people for any information on the runaway prisoner.

Yuri managed to walk to the shop and get the propeller without being stopped by any armor-wearing, raygun-toting empire guards. As Yuri was walking back to the ship, he spotted a big group of guards surrounding what must have been where the fight occurred.

There were giant automatons that had many giant holes in them from Victor’s ray gun. ‘Damn, the old man really went to town on those automatons.’

Yuri was so busy looking at the wreckage that he didn’t see the guard who had stopped writing down something in his notebook. Yuri wandered right into him and fell down from the force of him walking into what felt more like a brick wall than an actual person. Yuri looked up to see what he had run into and the first thing he saw was a large calloused hand being held out to him.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t even notice that I was standing right in the middle of the walkway. Are you okay?” Asked a deep slightly accented voice.

Yuri got up on his own and started to brush the dirt off of his clothes. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just next time, you may want to pay more attention and take into consideration that you aren’t the only damn person in the world, you id...iot.” The first thing that Yuri noticed when he looked up at the guy was his warm brown eyes that held so much emotion that Yuri felt like he might drown if he looked at them for too long. He took in the sight of the guy’s high cheekbones, his sharp jawline, his tan skin and his dark hair that was styled into an undercut. Yuri felt his face heat up against his will and he hoped that the fumes would keep it from being too visible to the guard.

“Are you sure that you’re ok?” The guard asked and that’s when Yuri noticed that he had probably been staring at the guy and he automatically felt his face grow warmer.

“I-I’m fine, thanks. Now if you would excuse me.” With that, Yuri walked quickly away from the guard and continued on his way back to the ship. ‘Keep it together, Plisetsky! So what if he was attractive, you could never have anyone like that, especially with your luck! Just snap out of it!’ He mentally scolded himself until he reached the ship.

When he made his way into the galley, he saw everyone sitting around the table talking to the other Yuuri. Everyone was so engrossed in the conversation that they didn't even notice he was there until he cleared his throat.

“Oh Yurio, you're back! So how did it go?” Victor asked from his spot next to Yuuri.

”If you're asking if I managed to do some shopping without starting a war, then it went fine. I saw all of the carnage you left behind, are you trying to make the wanted criminals’ list in every single city? If you keep this up, we'll never be able to go anywhere without dressing in disguise.”

“Well... It would give us a good excuse to buy more clothes?” Victor rubbed the back of his neck and gave the group a sheepish look.

“Vitya, this is no time for jokes, we are in serious danger of all being locked up in this empire forever and this particular empire isn’t a nice place to be.” Yakov reprimanded.

“He’s right Victor,” Yuuri chimed in. “I’ve lived in Ivormourne all my life and it has always been ruled unfairly. The king who rules it is corrupt and obsessed with power; he could care less about his subjects and he will do anything to gain power. He has hundreds of guards and henchmen that are prepared to do whatever he asks of them without question. They are also prepared to eliminate anyone who questions their king in any way.”

“As I said Vitya, it is much too dangerous to draw attention to yourself.”

“Exactly! Why couldn’t you just do what I did and keep your head low and not draw the attention of the guar-” Before Yuri could even finish his sentence, a loud thumping noise resonated from the door of the ship. Everyone went silent and their eyes widened in surprise as they looked at each other.

Yakov was the first one to speak up. “Vitya, Yuuri, go hide and don’t come out until I give the all clear. Yuri, go and answer the door; Mila, Georgi and I will stay here and act natural.”

Victor and Yuuri ran further into the ship to find a spot to hide as Yuri made his way upstairs to the deck. Yuri felt his nerves start to get the better of him; he couldn’t help but worry about who could be knocking. Could it be a guard here to take them all to the king to be executed or could it be just another civilian wanting to say hello? Yuri really hoped it was the second of those two options, he wasn’t ready to die. After all, he had a promise to keep.

Yuri walked to the door and when he opened it, Yuri just about jumped out of his skin. Not only was there a guard at the door but it was the same good-looking guard that Yuri bumped into earlier while he was in town. Yuri tried to hide his shock as best as he could but he could feel his hands start to tremble just a bit. “Uh, hello officer, how can I help you?”

The guard looked up at him and Yuri felt as if his breath was taken right from his lungs. “First of all, I would like to give this back to you.” The guard held out something that Yuri recognized immediately, it was a tiger’s tooth hung on a now broken leather cord that Yuri’s grandfather had given him when he was little. “The string seemed to have broken when we bumped into each other, I’m sorry.”

Yuri took the necklace from the guard and shoved it into his pocket. “Thank you, I really appreciate it.” Yuri was surprised by the sincerity of his own voice but he was really thankful to have his necklace back. He wouldn’t have gotten over losing it easily.

“You’re welcome, it was no issue.” The guard didn’t show any sign of leaving and it made Yuri’s anxiety rise again.

“Is there, um, anything else I can do for you?” Yuri inquired nervously.

“I would actually like permission to search your ship. I have been given orders from the king to search any residents or aircraft for these men.” The guard then held up two wanted posters, one that had the other Yuuri’s picture and one that had Victor’s stupid smug face plastered on it. ‘Well, Victor was hoping to have another wanted poster of himself to add to his “scrapbook”.’

Yuri tried to make sure his face didn’t show emotion that might have given away the fact that Yuri knew the two people on the posters. “I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen those people before.”

“I would still like to search your ship if that is ok? Just so I can report back to the king that every area has been searched thoroughly.” The handsome guard explained. Yuri had to take a moment to think about what to do; should he turn the guard away and run the risk of appearing suspicious or should Yuri just let the guy in and pray that he doesn’t find the two idiots. In the end, he decided to let the guard in so that it wouldn’t cause the guy to get suspicious and call some of his other buddies to search the ship as well.

Yuri lead the guard into the belly of the ship where Yakov, Mila and Georgi were still sitting at the table in the galley. When they entered the room, Yakov stood up with a wince to greet the guard. “Hello sir, how can we help you?”

“You could help me with a few things; first of all, I would like to know if you’ve seen these two men.” The guard once again held up the two wanted posters for the rest of the crew to look at.

Yakov didn’t even flinch upon seeing Victor’s face on yet another wanted poster, probably because he has seen so many wanted posters for Victor that he couldn’t even count. “I’m sorry young man, but I have never seen those two men in my life.”

“I’m sorry to seem disrespectful, sir, but I know that is a lie.” The guard said and before anyone could question his judgement, he pointed to the table where Yuuri’s goggles were sitting out in the open.

Yakov sighed. “I’m sorry to have lied to you but we will not let you take our crew members without a fight.” Mila and Georgi reached for their weapons until they heard shuffling coming from one of the other rooms in the ship and then Yuuri emerged into the galley.

“Yuuri, what are you doing?” Victor yelled after him before coming up behind him and seeing the man dressed in the armor that all of the empires guards wore. Victor drew his raygun out from its holster and aimed it at the guard but Yuuri pushed his arm down so that the gun was aimed at the floor.

“No Victor, you shouldn’t shoot him!”

“Why not?!” Victor asked, clearly as confused as the rest of the crew was.

“He helped me; this guard is the one who helped me escape from the empire’s prison. I would probably already be dead if it weren’t for his assistance.”

“What are you talking about, four eyes? This guard came to our ship to look for you and Victor so that he could bring you to the king.” Yuri spat out.

“I never intended to turn Mr. Katsuki and Mr. Nikiforov into the king.” Everyone stopped and stared at the guard like he had grown a second head.

“Then why did you come to our ship then?” Viktor asked, his raygun still in hand.

The guard turned to Yakov and suddenly dropped to his knees and lowered his head. “I came to ask if I could please join your crew.”

Everyone let out a collective, ‘WHAT?!’ except for Yakov, who looked as calm as ever. “What is your reason for joining?”

The guard looked up with a look of determination and anger in his eyes. “Because I need to get away from the empire. I no longer wish to serve the king and I have committed many acts of treason that would easily get me executed before I could escape on my own. Escaping on this ship is my safest option.”

Everyone was silent until Yuri spoke up. “Why would you to go against your precious king?”

“Yuri,” Yakov warned.

“No, it’s alright; you guys deserve to know why.” The guard interrupted before anything else could be said. “It’s true that I used to serve the king with all my heart much like my parents. My parents were geniuses; my mother used to be the king’s lead advisor and my father used to serve as his personal guard. They both lived to serve and protect the king. Everything was fine until the king heard a rumor that my mother was working with some of the other empires behind his back. The king is a heartless and delusional man that will let nothing get in the way of him gaining power over the other empires and he wanted to ensure that nothing or no one stopped him from gaining power.”

The guard stopped talking to stare at them solemnly. Everyone in the room was tense from the animosity conveyed in the guard’s words and silent with captivation as they yearned to hear the rest of the story. After a short pause, the guard continued to speak.

“One day, the king asked my father to do the impossible. He asked my father to kill my mother. He refused and because of that, my mother and my father were executed for treason. I was told that my parents were both killed out in the field and that the king kept me alive only because he knew that brains and strength ran in the family. He brainwashed me into thinking that my parents would be proud if I served him as they both had and I fell right into the palm of his hand. I only found out about all of this a few weeks ago and ever since then, I have been working against the king.” Yuri felt his heart go out to the guard. He could tell that the guy was sincere and in pain.

“I’m sorry to hear that but that still doesn’t explain why you would help me.” Yuuri added in.

“I was there when the king locked you up and sentenced you to death just because you wouldn’t make his damn weapons of destruction. The whole thing reminded me of what he did to my parents; just because you told him no, he was willing to kill an innocent person. I couldn’t let anyone else die like that.”

“Also, why did you come to us specifically just to escape? You could have just found another crew to take you in,” Victor asked, obviously still confused about this whole situation.

“I have heard about your crew and the infamous Victor Nikiforov, who is wanted in cities and empires all across the world-”

“You’ve heard about me? You must be a fan considering that I wasn’t wanted in this city until just today.” Victor interrupted the guy excitedly. For some reason, the lunatic was happy to be known for his crimes. Yuri would never understand him.

“I’m not a fan, but you are wanted in just about all of the cities the empire rules over so the guards have been told to always be on the lookout. However, the main reason that I wanted to join you guys is because I had learned about Yakov Feltsman, the empire’s number one enemy, only because he went against the king's decision to kill hundreds of innocent people.”

Everyone except for Yuuri and Yuri didn’t seem surprised; they must have known what Yakov’s story was. Yuri wanted to ask about what the guard was talking about but before he could the guy continued talking. “I heard of your story and I’ve respected you ever since. I knew that I wanted to help you in any way I could. This is why I would like to join this crew, so that I can act as a guard.”

“What makes you think that you are good enough to act as a guard for us?” Mila asked, speaking up for the first time during this whole conversation.

“Because I have been trained in all forms of combat, armed and unarmed, and I have also been taught on how to fight with every type of weapon available. I can even fix and build weapons if needed.”

“Impressive.” Mila hummed appreciatively.

It was quiet for a few moments; everyone was looking at Yakov to see what he would decide. “Please,” The guard spoke up again, his voice and eyes pleading. “Even if you don’t want to keep me as a crew member, just let me travel with you until we get to another empire so that I can begin a new life. I beg of you, if I don’t escape soon I’ll surely suffer the same fate as my parents.”

Yakov continued to look at Otabek in consideration. “Yakov, we have to help him. We can’t just let the empire kill him.” Yuri pleaded.

Yakov sighed and walked towards the guard, who was still kneeling on the floor. “Stand up young man.” The guy did as he was told. “What is your name?”

“O-Otabek Altin, sir.”

Yakov held out his hand to Otabek and looked him in the eye. “Welcome to the crew, Otabek. Don’t make me regret letting you join.”

Otabek stared at the older man in shock until he took the hint and shook Yakov’s hand. “Thank you so much sir, I promise you won’t regret anything!”

“You can’t be sure about that.” Yakov deadpanned, while turning to look at Victor who was too busy looking at Yuuri to realise what Yakov was insinuating. “Yuuri!”

At the sound of his name being called, Yuuri jumped a bit. “Yes sir?”

“How long should it take for you to replace the old propeller?”

“Um, maybe an hour?”

“Make it half an hour; we need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“Yes sir!” Yuuri turned and ran downstairs to the engine room.

“Victor, go and make sure that we are prepared to take off. Mila, help Yuuri in the engine room. Georgi, go get ready for take-off. Yuri, go show Otabek to one of the spare rooms so that he can get settled in.”

“Yes sir!” The crew shouted in unison before each going their separate ways.

“Come on, I’ll show you to your new room,” Yuri said, starting to walk down the hall where all the cabins were. Yuri swung open one of the solid oak doors and walked Otabek into a room that had a nice sized bed, a few dressers, a desk that was pushed into one corner of the room and a few other pieces of furniture. “Well, welcome to your new home.”

“Thank you,” Otabek said, taking in his new environment.

“No problem.” It was quiet for a few seconds and Yuri found the silence unnerving. “Well, I’ll leave you to get settled in…” Before he could leave, Otabek spoke up.

“Wait, I have to ask. Why did you stand up for me so much?”

Yuri froze in his tracks and felt his face heat up a bit. He didn't say anything for a few moments until he finally spoke. “Because… your story reminded me of my past.” Yuri sat down on the bed with a sigh and Otabek sat next to him.

“My parents used to serve the king of the empire that my family used to live in. My father was an engineer for the king and my mother was the head of the royal armory. I didn't get to see them much because they were always working but my grandfather was there so I wasn't alone.”

Then, Yuri clenched his teeth in resentment, preparing himself to speak. The next memory wasn’t necessarily a fun one to recall.

“One day, my parents never came back home, which wasn't too concerning since that happened a lot. However, they didn't come back for five days. After the sixth day, my grandfather went to the castle to see if he could find my parents and he found out that they were dead. The king said that they died in the line of duty so my grandfather raised me on his own. It was difficult since my grandfather was “too old” to have a job, so we were poor. One day, he got caught stealing a loaf of bread. Guards took him away to the castle and I never saw him again.”

Yuri reached into his pocket and pulled out his broken necklace. “The only thing I have left to remember my grandfather by is this necklace. It used to belong to my grandfather but he gave it to me before he was taken away by the guards. He also made me promise him that I would continue to live no matter what.”

Yuri glared bitterly at the ground, as he spat out his next words. Otabek stayed silent, most likely to give him the time to continue speaking. Yuri pulled together his nerves and continued on with the story.

“When I was ten, I found out what had really happened to my family because some other guards were talking about them. My father was executed because he refused to make a bomb for the king and the king killed my mother to tie up any loose ends. My grandfather was killed for his crime and because he had threatened the king when he found out how my parents really died.” Yuri felt his eyes start to grow a bit misty, as they always did when he thought or talked about his past.

When Otabek stayed silent and didn't rush him, Yuri found his solid presence calming and he found it easier to keep going on with his story. “I was left alone to fend for myself and since I was too young to get a job, I had to steal food just so that I wouldn’t starve to death. Then one day, Yakov found me stealing some fruit from a corner store and dragged me to the register to pay for my food. He asked me why I was stealing and when I told him what had happened to my family, he took me back to his ship. He gave me a place to stay and a family to be a part of. I couldn’t let you be killed just because another king was on a power trip.”

  
“Well, you still didn’t have to do what you did so, thank you.” Otabek’s sincere gaze bore into Yuri, causing the blonde’s face to warm up with a blush that he tried to hide by standing up quickly and walking back to the door.

  
“Yeah well, i-it was nothing; you can always repay me later or something. I better go and see if I can help with anything. I’ll talk to you later,” Yuri stuttered out before making his way out the door before he could embarrass himself any further but in his rush, Yuri missed the soft way that Otabek smiled at him as he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> Here is the [Link](http://mashazart.tumblr.com/%E2%80%9C%E2%80%9D) to Masha's beautiful artwork that you saw in the chapter!
> 
> As always constructive criticism/comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated! :D
> 
> If you want, come on over to My Trashy Tumblr and say hi! <3


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